Although they didn't cross over into the mainstream the way some of their peers did, Holland's Bettie Serveert became significant college-radio stars during the '90s with their jangly, sweetly melodic, at times surprisingly muscular guitar pop. Their sound was familiar, even archetypal, yet with its own distinct flavor that suggested any number... [+] Read More

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With their clever, smug lyrics and cloying folk-tinged melodies, the Crash Test Dummies were a perfect rock band for affluent '90s college students and yuppies. Their first album was a huge hit in their native Canada, but only gained a small cult following in other parts of the world. Thanks to former Talking Head Jerry Harrison's clean,... [+] Read More

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Alternative power popsters Gin Blossoms were formed in 1987 in Tempe, AZ, by longtime friends Bill Leen (bass) and Doug Hopkins (guitar), with an initial lineup also featuring vocalist Jesse Valenzuela, guitarist Richard Taylor, and drummer Chris McCann. The following year saw several personnel shifts as the band struggled to solidify -- McCann... [+] Read More

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Hootie & the Blowfish's mainstream pop variation of blues-rock brought the band to the top of the charts in 1995. Formed at the University of South Carolina, the group features lead vocalist/guitarist Darius Rucker, Mark Bryan, Dean Felber, and Jim "Soni" Sonefeld; the name refers to two friends of the band, not Rucker and the group itself.... [+] Read More

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This Boston-based college-aged quintet outclassed their postmodern contemporaries with a striking, hook-laden 1991 debut. Their sophomore album was less impressive. Frontman Josh Clayton-Felt issued a solo album, Inarticulate Nature Boy, in 1996; he died January 19, 2000 of testicular cancer at the age of 32. ~ John Floyd, All Music Guide

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Combining the melodic jangle of post-Smiths indie-guitar pop with the lilting, trance-inducing sonic textures of late-'80s dream pop and adding a slight Celtic tint, the Cranberries became one of the more successful groups to emerge from the pre-Brit-pop U.K. indie scene of the early '90s. Led by vocalist Dolores O'Riordan, whose keening,... [+] Read More

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Hershey, PA alternative pop band the Ocean Blue was formed in 1987 by singer/guitarist David Schelzel, keyboardist Steve Lau and bassist Bobby Mittan, longtime schoolmates who shared an affection for college radio favorites including U2, Echo & the Bunnymen, the Smiths and R.E.M. With the addition of drummer Rob Minnig, the group signed to Sire... [+] Read More

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